Personal audio devices, commonly known as headphones, earphones, headsets, and the like, are gaining in popularity. The typical personal audio device includes a frame containing an earphone that is usually positioned over or in a wearer's ear. In cases where the audio-set is a headset, a microphone is also typically positioned near the wearer's mouth.
Personal audio devices are often sold as after-market items for use with audio sets, such as MP3 players, CD players, cell phones, and the like, that consumers have purchased separately. These personal audio sets usually include a jack or connector that allow for connection of personal audio devices such as headphones and the like. Usually, different manufacturers of a type of audio set have different shaped and/or configured jacks. In addition, even for a given manufacturer of an audio set having a common jack design for all of its products, the location of that jack on the case may be different between different products of that manufacturer. Accordingly, a manufacturer of after-market products for use on personal audio sets and the like, must design and produce different after-market products, one for each particular audio set to which it is intended to be used.
For example, the Apple Corporation of Cupertino, Calif. offers at least two different personal audio sets. One is sold under the trademark IPOD and the other is sold under the trademark IPOD MINI. They are both audio sets commonly known as MP3 players, but they differ in their physical size and the amount and type of features they offer. Both have the same sized and shaped remote port and headphone jack, each of which is operable using the same or very similar electrical circuitry and the like. However, the physical location of this port and jack on these products differ. The personal audio device sold under the trademark IPOD has its remote port and headphone jack in the center of the top side of the device, and the personal audio device sold under the trademark IPOD MINI has its remote port and headphone jack toward the right side of the top side of the device.
Accordingly, if a manufacturer desires to provide an after-market product that engages the remote port and/or headphone jacks on both the IPOD and the IPOD MINI audio sets, it must make and sell two different audio device-engaging structures. One structure physically aligns the connectors with the IPOD and a separate structure physically aligns the connectors with the IPOD MINI. These two separate structures increase the costs of producing the after market product.
Moreover, should the manufacturer of the personal audio set change the location of its ports and jacks, the after-market manufacturer must necessarily change its after market products accordingly.